Japonnaise Cakes

3 egg whites
6 ounces ground almonds
6 ounces caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
A few drops of almond extract

Line a shallow baking sheet with oiled grease-proof paper or use non-stick baking parchment. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Lightly stir in the ground almonds, sugar and extract. Spread the mixture in the baking tray to a depth of 1/4 inch. Bake until the mixture is almost set.

Remove from the oven and gently mark out rounds with a 1 1/2-inch cutter, making the marks as close as possible to each other without overlapping. Leave them in place and return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until quite firm, golden and crisp. Remove from oven, and carefully remove the rounds to a wire rack.

Return the trimmings to the oven for a short while so that they become a darker gold. When the trimmings are cold, crush them with a rolling pin and reserve. Spread half the cakes with coffee or vanilla flavored butter icing and gently press the remaining circles on top. The butter icing will ooze out of the sides. Spread this around the edge of each cake, adding more if necessary, and roll cakes in the reserved crumbs. If desired, the tops can be decorated with a blob of glace icing.

NOTE: Butter icing is made by beating confectioners' sugar into softened butter until the consistency is like thick cream, then adding flavoring of choice. The icing hardens as it sets.